Gotham: Welcome Back, Jim Gordon Review
Gordon suspects an inside job when the key witness in a homicide ends up dead while being held for questioning by the police, so he turns to an old friend for information. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot takes control of a prized possession belonging to Fish Mooney.
Bruce, Alfred and Selina return to subplot land on this week’s Gotham, and we find out what happened to Fish after her failed take-over.
- I do wonder if the GCPD will rally behind Gordon or turn against him? While his quest is noble, his pig-headedness seems to endanger those around him, and I’m not sure how much longer everyone around him will remain safe. That said, this week’s episode focuses on Gordon going after crook cops in the department, and the trouble that would cause not only Bullock, but Essex as well.
- Butch is loyal. He’s proven that before, but he also proves he is a bit of a bad-ass this week as well. Not only does he escape from Falcone’s men, but he is able to rescue Fish Mooney with one hell of a beatdown. He also offers himself up as a bit of a sacrificial lamb so that Fish can escape Zsasz.
- I think this is my favorite version of Zsasz, he isn’t completely one-note as in other mediums. Well still one-note, but the fact that he gets to express his glee in murder and mayhem allows him to be a robust character than someone who just carves up his skin for every kill.
- Fish Mooney gets sidelined a bit after her escape/rescue. Was surprise she didn’t to abuse The Penguin in public instead of killing him, but guess had to create drama, and he’ll be around forever. He is a trademark Bat-villain.
Friends Forever
- The Penguin taking over Fish’s club and subsequent scene with his mother were endearing, trippy, bizarre and strange all at the same time. I enjoyed them and continued the weird Penguin/mother sub-plot, and honestly kind of expected Fish to off his mother, but she was taken away from harm before any danger could befall her.
- I’m still not entirely sure what to make of Edward Nygma’s subplot. Part of me feels like Cringle is just entertaining him so he doesn’t completely break or if there is some morbid interest in him. Either way, his advances still walk a line between being slightly creepy and kind of endearing. A really really thin line.
- The case of the week, if you can call it that, was pretty damn barren. It was mostly used as a backbone for Gordon’s fight against corrupt forces within the GCPD, mostly with the introduction of Detective Flass. I will say the final scene with one of the cops begging Gordon for his family’s safety really did a good job at what a “Good guy” James really is. He may not have gotten his hands dirty, but he did whatever was necessary for his case.
Not a bad episode of Gotham, but felt a bit unfocused. It was more cleaning the table from the last set of arcs to begin anew. While Bruce, Alfred, Selina and even Ivy made a return this week, it wasn’t much meat to really write about. We’ll be back next week!
